Banvit Bandirma makes Eurocup semis
Nail biting tension would be a good way to describe the finale of the two leg series between Banvit Bandirma and Paris-Levallois in Turkey. The two clubs were clashing in the second leg of their Eurocup Quarter-Final and host club Banvit Bandirma edged the final score and the aggregate score to win the series.
With victory the Turkish team progresses to the Final Four, the first club to do so. As for Paris, the French club is left to rue what could have been, but will at least be buoyed by the fact that the team took the game to the final seconds.
Banvit Bandirma vs. Paris-Levallois, 75-71 (140-138)
After 80 minutes of Basketball over two games and in two different countries, only two points separated Banvit and Paris-Levallois on Tuesday. The two clubs opened the second leg week of the Eurocup Quarter-Finals and created a game to remember. The game went to the dying seconds, with a heroic performance in the Banvit ranks finally handing the hosts the win and a semi-final berth.
The teams traded buckets early on before Banvit hit ten points without reply and opened an advantage through ten minutes with a 17-8 lead. Paris recovered from the lack of baskets to pour in 24 points through the second quarter, enough to make it 34-32 through halftime. At the long break and with 20 minutes of Basketball left to play the score over two legs was locked at 99 apiece. A tight third act followed, but the Bandirma outfit managed to extend by a further two points with a 15-13 run to make it 49-45 on the night. Credit to the visitors should be extended as Paris never stopped fighting and made it tight through the final minutes of the fourth quarter. With seconds remaining and the tie in the balance, Sammy Mejia stepped up for Banvit with 7 points in the final 30 seconds to confirm the win.
Mejia’s special contribution also saw him score a game high 18 points overall while also pulling nine rebounds of the glass. He was followed by Earl Rowland with 16 points.
Mike Green offered 16 points for the losing effort, while Giovan Oniangue and Dionte Christmas split 26 points down the middle.